Students Make Connections in Online Clubs and Activities Designed to Extend Learning!

Participate in a coding challenge. Create poetic word art. Contribute articles to The Monitor blog. Compete in a chess tournament. These activities can all be a part of the well-rounded student experience at Connections Academy.

Connecting with other students can be one of the most important parts of school. That’s why we offer a wide variety of academically focused student engagement clubs designed to extend learning throughout the school year.

These free teacher-directed student clubs and engagement activities enable online students to pursue their interests and deepen their learning while making friends with students who attend other Connections Academy–supported schools or International Connections Academy.

For students who may prefer more short-term activities, we also offer “edutaining” Pop Up Events on a variety of topics such as gardening, crocheting, graphic arts, and pets.

Our wide range of online school clubs and activities makes it possible for students to:

Extend learning that supports their academic interests through engaging projects and presentations.

Clubs

The following is just a small sampling of the online school clubs and activities offered to students.

Art Club is designed to spark student creativity by exploring two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, photography, and graphic design through techniques and styles associated with each medium. Students have the opportunity to create original designs and artwork, share their artwork with peers, learn about appropriate critique guidelines, and provide feedback to other club members. Grades 6–12

Arts and Crafts Club (Crafting Corner) encourages students to create crafts using materials found at home and in nature. Through the topics of culture, science, and math, students work on projects such as a splat paint emoji, wooden pallet drink coasters, and straw tulips. Grades K–8

Authors Corner encourages students to work collaboratively and individually to write original stories in all genres of fiction and nonfiction. Students can share their writing or favorite book/author during LiveLesson® sessions. Students can also communicate on the Message Boards to give critiques of student writing, create collaborative stories, and discuss favorite book genres. Grades K–12

Career Club members explore their interests to discover careers that may match them.Students research the academic, technical, and experiential requirements for those careers, so they can prepare for life after school. The club provides many resources to help students become career ready. Grades 6–12

College Planning Club is the perfect extracurricular online activity for high school students considering college. Members learn about the college preparation and admissions process, including planning for college, writing a résumé, exploring career interests, researching colleges, completing applications, and finding financial aid and scholarship opportunities. Students also develop a portfolio that focuses on elements sought by college admissions committees. Grades 9–12

Gaming and Technology allows students who have an affinity for technology and gaming to explore and discuss gaming styles and genres, learn about careers in the gaming and technology industry, and share their original work in LiveLesson sessions. Individual and collaborative projects may include creating elements of video games and investigating internet safety and cyberthreats. Grades 6–12

Science Sleuths: Weird Science students work with the scientific method by planning experiments and observing the world. Particular emphasis is placed on the environment with lessons and discussions focused on keeping the planet clean and various global issues such as alternative energy, recycling, and allocating limited resources. Students conduct experiments at home and share the processes and results with their peers. They also predict outcomes and alter variables of experiments conducted in LiveLesson sessions. Grades K–5

Pop Up Events

Pop Up events are an ever-changing assortment of teacher-led onetime or short-term online get-togethers that enable students to try new things! Students attend these extracurricular virtual activities via the same LiveLesson technology they use to attend real-time meetings with their regular teachers.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

Culinary Delights

Gardening Guru

Minute to Win It Games

NASA News Flash

Nerdy for Nature

Outdoor Science

Pawsitively Pet Care

Poetry Open Mic

Snack ’N Chat

The Volunteering Journey

Special Events

During the school year, Connections Academy hosts contests and challenges so students can share their talents on a larger scale. These special events are short term and do not require a club enrollment. Some contests and special events include the Yearbook Art Contest, Music Contest, Fashion Design Challenge, Photography Contest, and DimensionU tournaments. There’s something for everyone in our online school clubs and activities program!